Latest news with #NoahBrown
Forbes
2 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Bears' Coaching Changes Seem Timely For Tyrique Stevenson
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 27: Noah Brown #85 of the Washington Commanders looks on as a hail mary ... More pass attempt against the Chicago Bears is tipped during the fourth quarter at Northwest Stadium on October 27, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by) Tyrique Stevenson is getting a fresh start from the Bears' new coaching staff. But neither Ben Johnson nor anyone else is promising the third-year cornerback that he'll be the starter opposite Jaylon Johnson when the season rolls around. Training camp and the three-game exhibition schedule will be huge for Stevenson as he attempts to put his Hail Mary embarrassment behind him. Terell Smith and rookie Zah Frazier are set to step in if Stevenson can't regain the strut — and ability to defend in man-to-man coverages — he had after returning an interception for a touchdown in the 2024 opener. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was the biggest addition in a flurry of hires by Johnson and General Manager Ryan Poles. The former Saints and Raiders head coach is regarded as something of a savant, known for both his intelligence and his ability to teach. He will be keeping a close eye on the secondary, with the immediate concerns being safety Jaquan Brisker's return from concussions and Stevenson's play at cornerback. It would be one thing if Stevenson's lapse on the game-ending play in Washington was an isolated mistake. But the former Miami and Georgia standout has been more inconsistent than the Bears hoped after Poles traded up to get him in the 2023 draft. Stevenson started 16 games as a rookie and overall has started 30 of 32 games in the NFL. While his first season was similar to Johnson's 2020 season — after the Bears selected him in the second round from Utah — he did not take a step forward in his second season. Pro Football Focus ranked Stevenson 80th among qualifying cornerbacks in '23 and 83rd last season. He likely suffered from a sense of uncertainty playing under two head coaches and defensive coordinators in those seasons, and is looking to quickly become grounded in Allen's defense, which generally emphasizes press coverage on outside targets. 'It's mano a mano,' Stevenson told reporters during a June mini-camp. 'I'm going to show you I've been working and I'm better than you. I feel like that can take a lot of guessing out of the game for the corners.' More than anything else, Stevenson must like that all the reminders of the Hail Mary play — a tipping point for the 5-12 season — come from fans and media. 'Clean slate from here on out,' new defensive backs coach Al Harris said. Matt Eberflus benched Stevenson for the start of the next game following the 18-15 loss. Stevenson's taunting fans when he should have been lining up for the certain Hail Mary stayed in the spotlight when Eberflus was fired midway through a 10-game losing streak that turned a 4-2 start into empty calories. But Ben Johnson has never mentioned it in meetings with Chicago players. 'I think he learned his lesson from that, and his peers have certainly talked to him about it,' Johnson said. 'There really wasn't any reason for me or the staff to piggyback on that because he's learned from it, he's grown from it, and what's in the past is in the past, and we're moving forward.' Albeit with no guarantees. Smith, a fifth-round pick in the same draft when Stevenson was selected in the second round, has arguably outplayed him but in a limited capacity. He has played only 584 defensive snaps in his backup role while Stevenson has played 1640. That's a huge difference. But Smith has made the most of playing time. He was graded out 40th among 127 qualifiers by PFF in his rookie season and, while he didn't get enough snaps to qualify because of a hip injury, ranked 14th among 223 cornerbacks last season. That's Marlon Humphrey and Quinyon Mitchell territory, the caveat being the small sample size. Frazier, a fifth-round pick from Texas-San Antonio, is a bigger corner at 6-3. He'll turn 25 in October and led the AAC with six interceptions last season. PFF gave him an 85.9 grade, which suggests he is capable of opening eyes in camp. "The biggest thing is you've got a big, long press corner that can run," Allen said after a rookie camp. 'He has got a lot of things that he's got to learn but he's got the tools for us to work with.'' Poles has added veterans Nick McCloud and Nahshon Wright as depth options alongside special-teamers Josh Blackwell and Ameer Speed. For Allen's defense, cornerback will be the position to watch this summer at Halas Hall. The joint practices against the Dolphins (Aug. 8) and Bills (Aug. 15) provide the first true tests. There are major financial consequences for Stevenson. He could set himself up as a long-term piece of the defense with a strong bounce-back under the new coaches. His head should be in the game on every snap this time around.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
New video reveals potentially positive injury news for Commanders
It looks like the Washington Commanders dodged a bullet with wide receiver Noah Brown. Brown, who was carted off the field during OTAs, looked close to 100% in a recent video shared to Instagram. When Brown went down with an injury, head coach Dan Quinn offered no update. And since it was the offseason, the Commanders weren't required to provide injury updates. However, one team insider said he didn't believe the injury was serious, and Brown was at an event in his hometown after the injury and appeared fine. Here's the Instagram video showing Brown working out and preparing for training camp. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Brown was claimed by the Commanders off waivers last August after he was surprisingly let go by the Houston Texans. Brown immediately made his impact felt for Washington, developing a strong rapport with quarterback Jayden Daniels and establishing himself as one of his top receivers. Brown will forever be remembered for being on the receiving end of Daniels' Hail Mary to shock the Chicago Bears as time expired. Unfortunately, Brown suffered a kidney injury in Week 13 and was lost for the season. He finished his first year in Washington with 34 receptions for 453 yards and one touchdown. He was also among the league leaders in drawing defensive pass interference penalties. The Commanders re-signed Brown to a one-year contract this offseason. While he will not serve as Washington's No. 2 receiver this season due to the addition of Deebo Samuel, he figures to remain a significant part of Kliff Kingsbury's offense. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Some positive injury news for the Commanders?
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Potentially positive injury news on Commanders wide receiver
Wide receiver Noah Brown went down with an injury on the final day of last week's minicamp for the Washington Commanders, yet head coach Dan Quinn offered no update on Brown's condition. During his final press briefing before training camp next month, Quinn said Brown was scheduled for an MRI that day (Friday), but there have been no updates on Brown. Washington doesn't owe it to anyone to report injuries during the offseason. Considering the medical cart came onto the field for Brown, many assumed it was a serious injury, at least initially. However, things may not be as bad as they appeared. On the latest edition of the "John Keim Report" podcast, Keim said, "I don't believe it's anything serious." It's important to note that Keim said he did not have any specific news on the injury, and that it was only his belief that it was not serious. It was not a report from Keim. You can listen here, where Keim discusses Brown at around the two-minute mark. While Keim was unclear about Brown's status, the veteran wideout may have given a clue on his personal Instagram page. Brown shared a graphic for a football event in his hometown. One would have to think that if Brown were seriously injured, he would not be participating in this event. Of course, it doesn't reveal Brown's participation level. This could mean nothing, but if you consider this and what Keim said, the Commanders may have dodged a bullet. Brown was Washington's second-leading receiver last year before he injured his kidney in Week 13 and missed the remainder of the season. The Commanders re-signed him to a one-year contract this offseason to serve as receiver depth behind Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel. We'll continue to follow Brown's status, but we may have to wait until training camp. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders WR Noah Brown not seriously injured?
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
New video reveals potentially positive injury news for Commanders
It looks like the Washington Commanders dodged a bullet with wide receiver Noah Brown. Brown, who was carted off the field during OTAs, looked close to 100% in a recent video shared to Instagram. When Brown went down with an injury, head coach Dan Quinn offered no update. And since it was the offseason, the Commanders weren't required to provide injury updates. However, one team insider said he didn't believe the injury was serious, and Brown was at an event in his hometown after the injury and appeared fine. Here's the Instagram video showing Brown working out and preparing for training camp. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Brown was claimed by the Commanders off waivers last August after he was surprisingly let go by the Houston Texans. Brown immediately made his impact felt for Washington, developing a strong rapport with quarterback Jayden Daniels and establishing himself as one of his top receivers. Brown will forever be remembered for being on the receiving end of Daniels' Hail Mary to shock the Chicago Bears as time expired. Unfortunately, Brown suffered a kidney injury in Week 13 and was lost for the season. He finished his first year in Washington with 34 receptions for 453 yards and one touchdown. He was also among the league leaders in drawing defensive pass interference penalties. The Commanders re-signed Brown to a one-year contract this offseason. While he will not serve as Washington's No. 2 receiver this season due to the addition of Deebo Samuel, he figures to remain a significant part of Kliff Kingsbury's offense.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Commanders Reveal Injury Update on ‘Dog-Ass Competitor Noah Brown
Commanders Reveal Injury Update on 'Dog-Ass Competitor Noah Brown originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Washington Commanders at one time were thought to have suffered a major blow to their receiving corps after a key piece in the rotation went down during minicamp. Advertisement Multiple outlets reported out of the team's recent practice that Noah Brown went down with an injury and had to be carted off the field. There have been no official updates on the nature of the injury at this time. But … John Keim from ESPN has revealed that he is of the understanding that Brown's injury isn't of a serious nature. This injury came on the heels of Terry McLaurin's holdout from team activities becoming official as he seeks out a contract extension. McLaurin did not report to mandatory minicamp. Brown - labeled by coach Dan Quinn a 'dog-ass competitor' - caught 35 passes for 453 yards last season, the most notable of which came in the Commanders' stunning Hail Mary victory over the Chicago Bears. He spent five of his previous six seasons with the Dallas Cowboys before signing with the Houston Texans in 2023. Advertisement Washington has pieced together notable wide receiver depth through the offseason. The team drafted Jaylin Lane in the fourth round after adding Deebo Samuel through trade in March and signing veterans Michael Gallup and K.J. Osborn. However, Brown's loss would've been a considerable blow if the injury turned out to be a serious matter. The Commanders have centered their offseason on building a formidable offensive unit around Jayden Daniels. Brown's rapport with the young quarterback was a major plus as a returning piece. … and soon enough apparently will be again. Related: Commanders' Brian Robinson Ready For 'Big' Contract Year This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
